How Many Programs To Apply For?

[Tippmann]

I just realized ERAS opened and I'm currently thumbing through programs to see which I would have an interest in applying for.

Thus far, I've found 60. Most of these places are what one would consider a "higher tier" program or one with a favorable location (predominantly located on the East or West Coast)

I'm wondering if this is a bit too selective for an applicant of my caliber? I wonder if I should be applying to more "lower tier" programs or even more programs across the expansive Midwest?

(I realize this is a question best answered by mentors at my own school but they've been quite slow in responding to any of my overtures)

Can anyone lend me a hand?

If it helps, I can offer some basic stats about me: Sadly, I'm non-AOA, from a rather average school, do have basic science derm research but no publication to go along with it, and to top it all off, I have some rather lousy clinical grades. (All high pass, with outstanding written evaluations, but in comparison to the Derm Demigods out there, anything less than Honors is a failure). Fortunately, the rest of the stuff on my ERAS application should be above-average when compared to a typical derm applicant, I hope. I'm scheduled for my first away (located on the West Coast) next month and will be following that up with a home rotation (also located on the West Coast)

Thanks in advance for the helpful hints

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[Dr McSteamy]

this one isn't hard to reason out.

of course youre gonna get shot down.

apply to ALL of the programs. even in the remote corners of the world.
how badly do you want derm?

oh and of course, apply to a back up specialty.

money should not be an issue. and if it is, sell your dog, sister, car, wwahtever.

 

[Tippmann]

Sigh...sounds expensive...guess I'll have to do it considering my middling stats.

How do most people apply to a backup specialty?

I've set up the beginning of my 4th year with tons of courses to aid me with a derm application. Not a lot of room left for anything. Let alone a competitive backup.

 

[DrDre311]

Most derm types go with medicine as a backup...not a good idea to apply for multiple competitive specialties.

By the way, I get beat up with home call and a glut of facial fractures that keeps me off SDN and I come back to see so many posts with so much vitriol...!

Awesome. I love it.

 

[Tippmann]

Most derm types go with medicine as a backup...not a good idea to apply for multiple competitive specialties.

By the way, I get beat up with home call and a glut of facial fractures that keeps me off SDN and I come back to see so many posts with so much vitriol...!

Awesome. I love it.

I don't mind the biting nature of the response. I was asking a question and just grateful to get a response. Besides, he/she's going into family medicine.

Regarding backup fields, radiology has been a popular one at my school. There's a broad spectrum of competitiveness within that field so I'm assuming most of my predecessors opted to apply to the smaller, community programs in radiology.

The lifestyle may be great but I'd probably hang myself in the darkroom so that's out.

 

[JonnyWise]

I hope im not hijacking your thread with this one, but its just about on topic.

I am curious about how applying to a "backup" specialty works in terms of applying to the same hospital. In your example, if you apply to both Derm and Rads at the same hospital do PDs know? Does it look bad? Is there a skillful way of doing this? I am just curious if anyone has any specific experience with this.

Thanks.

 

[sestamibi]

I hope im not hijacking your thread with this one, but its just about on topic.

I am curious about how applying to a "backup" specialty works in terms of applying to the same hospital. In your example, if you apply to both Derm and Rads at the same hospital do PDs know? Does it look bad? Is there a skillful way of doing this? I am just curious if anyone has any specific experience with this.

Thanks.

Do the PDs know? Not necessarily.

Does it look bad? Uhh...yeah. It's analogous to walking into an interview with a tattoo on your forehead saying, "I'm interested in lifestyle, cash, and nothing else."

Is there a skillful way of doing this? Absolutely. Don't.

Backup fields should be best kept at separate institutions.

 

[JonnyWise]

Sestamibi:
Ha! Humorous and insightful. If only the rest of the world worked this way. I guess this whole backup specialty thing is not as comforting as I thought. I am hoping that one day I will wake up and just know.

 

[sestamibi]

Sestamibi:
Ha! Humorous and insightful. If only the rest of the world worked this way. I guess this whole backup specialty thing is not as comforting as I thought. I am hoping that one day I will wake up and just know.

Oh don't get me wrong. At the end of the day, I still believe you have to watch out for yourself. There's a reason why I is capital.

I agree you need a backup but I disagree with the idea of applying for the backup field within the same institution as your primary field. It might be passable if your backup is a primary care field but if you're doing radiology, it's going to look really bad if word leaks out. (Let's be honest...the two fields are virtually unrelated medically. The only things they share are the items that we're not supposed to mention at interviews)

Still, who am I to judge? If you genuinely have an interest in those two, more power to you. I would just make sure you don't dual apply for the same hospital. I don't believe PD's share their applicant pool with other PD's within the hospital but that's a risk I'd rather not take.

 

[abefromann]

if you want to be a dermatologist, chances are you hate rounding and long hours. you'll only be unhappy in the end if medicine's your backup. i'm doing my intern year now and i think i'd shoot myself in the face if i had to do three years of this. do pathology.

radiology only cares about board scores so if your step 1's above 230, then try it. if you'd rather go to a sweet-ass area of cali, then path is your best bet.

 

[derm83]

If you want to do derm so bad, the simply apply widely...as much as you can afford

 

[deltamed]

Depends on your step I board score. You mentioned above average but didn't post a score. Considering the mediocre nature of the rest of your stats I would agree to be conservative and apply to all programs (you still may only land 0-3 interviews). If your step is > 250 and your LOR's are solid you might be able to eliminate a few programs where you really, really don't want to live.

 

[DrDre311]

I'd say you should apply to at least, say, four programs or so.